Lowering PH for shampoo?

[mcpickle84]

Hello!
I've been looking at making my own shampoo bars for some upcoming travel and for lowering my plastic waste in the future... (And saving money!)
I have a whole bunch of SFIC Honey MP and Oatmeal MP that I can use for this (might as well use what I have on hand if I can!)...
I've seen suggestions that the PH level in most MPs aren't nice to hair. And I've seen that adding in citric acid to an MP is a bad idea.
I've also seen conflicting information about whether ACV would lower the PH or not.
I've searched here and other places online for an answer, but not getting a clear one.
So... Basically, is there anything I can add to lower the PH just a little, or would it make more sense to find a different MP that might be better suited to using as a shampoo bar base?
(If it makes any difference for whats available to purchase, I'm in BC, Canada).
Thank you for any help!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Soap will always have a high pH. It is not possible to lower the pH of any soap below about 8-9 without causing the soap to deconstruct.
I think there is a shampoo-specific base you can buy now as a M&P but I don't know what it's called. When I say shampoo-specific, I mean not a lye based soap (it's syndet, or synthetic detergent).

 

[Maple_Street_Bath]

I found a similar product on Brambleberry's website. Their customer service says the pH is 8-9. Looking at the ingredients, I think that adding a pH adjuster will cause the formulation to fail - you won't have soap. My advice: look for a melt and pour base intended for hair if that's the direction you want to go. There are some simple surfactant based recipes out there as well (Humblebee's Mango bar has been a favorite at our house for a few years), that while they may require investment to order the supplies, in the end I think you'll be a lot happier with the result and get a better return on your money.

 

[mcpickle84]

Soap will always have a high pH. It is not possible to lower the pH of any soap below about 8-9 without causing the soap to deconstruct.
I think there is a shampoo-specific base you can buy now as a M&P but I don't know what it's called. When I say shampoo-specific, I mean not a lye based soap (it's syndet, or synthetic detergent).

Hmm, yes, I found the Stephenson Syndopour - I'll probably pick some up in the future, it seems comparable in price to other M&Ps

 

[mcpickle84]

I found a similar product on Brambleberry's website. Their customer service says the pH is 8-9. Looking at the ingredients, I think that adding a pH adjuster will cause the formulation to fail - you won't have soap. My advice: look for a melt and pour base intended for hair if that's the direction you want to go. There are some simple surfactant based recipes out there as well (Humblebee's Mango bar has been a favorite at our house for a few years), that while they may require investment to order the supplies, in the end I think you'll be a lot happier with the result and get a better return on your money.

In the future, I may consider something other than a MP, so I will keep your advice in mind.
I will likely look at a MP base that's intended for hair in the mean time

 

[artemis]

Hmm, yes, I found the Stephenson Syndopour - I'll probably pick some up in the future, it seems comparable in price to other M&Ps

I like the Syndopour. You can find a few threads about it on the forum.

 

[mcpickle84]

I think for the trip itself, I'll just purchase some premade shampoo & conditioner bars - this will give me time to experiment and find something that really works for me afterward, without being too stressed about getting it perfect before my trip!
Appreciate all the feedback and advice!